Signifigance
by Conilynn
Summary: Is it possible to meet and fall in love after one day? AH, Cannon couples.
1. Chapter 1

Everyone has defining moments. I've had several. Some more signifigant than others. For instance, my first day of school which, for me, was terrifying. I didn't know anyone and the teacher smelled funny. Had I not been able to go home after a few hours, I have no doubt that I would have been emotionally scarred for life. Barring that first day, my little moments continued until I graduated high school and began preparing myself for the real world.

During my senior year at Northwestern, I met Tanya Denali. She was exquisite. Smart, extremely confident, beautiful, and mean. Tanya was a hell cat, and could hold a grudge for an eternity. I have no idea why I was attracted to her. Her physical beauty was beyond compare, but she had the personality of a snake. She was perfect around others, but I knew that someone would eventually slip and say or do something that she didn't like. I had made that mistake on more than one occasion. Those were the times I dreaded most, because when we were alone, she didn't hesitate to take,whatever out on me. It didn't matter who the offender was. One would think that I'd be exempt from her fury, but I wasn't. If anything, I bore the brunt of it.

Hoping to turn things around for us, I planned a trip to Mexico, during spring break of our senior year. It didn't go well. Her selfishness knew no bounds, and it seemed that no matter what I did to try to please her, nothing worked. I knew then that I couldn't win.

We graduated shortly afterward. I'd earned a degree in architecture, and she, in graphic design. While she remained unemployed, I landed a posh position with Volturi Designs in Chicago. I loved being able to just create. Marcus Volturi was my boss. He gave me little projects to do, and being satisfied with my work, started giving me more responsibility. Marcus was a great man. He was encouraging, supportive, and generous. He was alot like my own father. So, it was no surprise to me, when my parents were killed in an auto accident the following January, how comforting Marcus was.

My defining moments may have seemed insignifigant to others, but the death of my parents, a definite moment, nearly crippled me. Understanding my grief, Marcus was, I thought, lenient, where I was concerned. I had lost, not one, but both of my parents in one careless action. They had been my center, my balance. I was barely able to even comprehend their absence from my life, much less deal with the aftermath of that absence I was an only child. I had no other family, except my mother's sister, Esme and her family, but they were hundreds of miles away. Seeing Aunt Esme had been wonderful, and under different circumstances, would have been a truly joyous occasion. But her visit had been shrouded in a blinding fog of pain and loss. I wish she had been able to stay. Being near someone who loved my parents as much as I did was a great help. But life goes on, and she had to go.

I threw myself into my work. I knew that Marcus was concerned, but since my work hadn't seemed to suffer, he kept quiet. Tanya was another story. It was always something with her, and I'd grown so tired of her games, the mere thought of being in the same room with her made me ill. I was raised to be respectful, to be a gentleman. I was taught that 'class' is defined by one's actions toward others. So, I made sure to give the homeless man on the corner a few bucks, hold doors open for old ladies, tip well, and make sure that my secretary always got coffee for herself if she was getting any for me. Tanya, apparently, was not raised the way I was. She was spoiled. She expected to be the center of everyone's universe, including mine, and she thought 'class' was represented by what type of car a person drove, or the name of the designer that happened to be stretched across her ass. She didn't have a pair of shoes that cost less that five-hundred dollars, and didn't have a problem dropping two grand on a butt-fucking-ugly purse. Which she did frequently. Tanya Denali was a walking cliche;_ Beauty is only skin deep._ For she was just as ugly on the inside, as she was beautiful on the outside.

I had been working late one evening, a few months after my parents' accident. Tanya had called several times, then resorted to texting after being sent to voicemail for the gabillionth time. If I had been paying attention to the messages, I wouldn't have felt the need to rip her limb from limb and burn her world to the ground. I simply would have left the office and dealt with her in a gentlemanly fashion. Well, as much as I could have. The texting stopped after a few hours. I had been completely stupid to think that she'd just given up. I recieved an email from her. I wasn't in a hurry to open it, but the caption in the 'subject' bar captured and held my curiosity. So, I opened it. _'This will each you to ignore me!"_ This sentiment was accompanied by a video attatchment, which I also opened. I immediatly recognized Tanya. She was in my apartment, no, she didn't have a key, in my bed, with one of my co-workers. James Laurant, shitty architect, esquire. The entire world took on a red haze. She was fucking a piece of shit in my bed.

In the year and a half that Tahya and I had dated, I never fucked anyone else. And I would never have done so in her bed, if I had. But that was the difference between us. She expected, and she took, and it didn't matter to her who she hurt or stepped on as long as she got what she wanted, when she wanted it, and God help anyone who didn't comply or conform. I had reached my breaking point. I picked up the phone and dialed her number. I wasn't surprised that she picked up on the first ring.

"It's about fucking time, asshole!" She hissed. ,Hissed. At me.

"Are you still in my apartment, Tanya?" I kept my voice as calm as I could. I knew she was hateful, but I had no idea of how truly evil she could be. She said that she was now at home, and asked if I was coming to see her. "No, Tanya. I've had my fill. Stay away from my apartment. Don't come near me again or I swear, I'll tear that psychopathic head of yours off of your body and shit down your neck." She remained silent. "Do you understand what I'm saying to you, Tanya?"

"Edward, I was just trying to get your attention. You know I don't like being ignored!"

"Well, congratulations. You've got my attention. Now, you better pay close attention to me, because I'm only going to say this one time. _Stay the fuck away from me!_ If you have any sense of self preservation at all, stay away."

"Are you_ threatening _me, Edward?"

"No, I'm not_ threatening _you. I'm _telling_ you, _stay away._ Don't make me repeat myself, Tanya. I assure you, you won't like it. Not one little bit." I hung up before she could say anything else, and called Marcus to see if a leave of absence would be possible. After explaining the situation, he assured me that I could take as much time as I needed. I, then went home and called the only family I had left.

"Edward, sweetheart. It's so good to hear your voice. How are you?"

"Aunt Esme." I sighed. "It's good to hear your voice, too. I've been thinking about visiting... indefinately. Would that be a problem?"

"I'll get the guest room made up in the morning. It'll be ready for you when you get here. I love you, Edward." She whispered. I could feel the sting of tears. It felt so good to know that someone, somewhere loved me... just because.

"I love you, too." My voice cracked. "Thank you. I'll see you soon."

I packed a couple of suitcas, then took my bed, linnens and all to the basement of my apartment building, and left it by the incinerator. I called the airport for the next flight to Seattle, booked a flight for the next day, and crashed on the couch.

The next morning, I went to the office to wrap up a few things, and give Marcus the number at Aunt Esme's. I was preparing to walk out of my office when James Laraunt stepped into the door. He eyeballed me from top to bottom, and then sneered.

"How's it going,_ Masen_?"

I grinned, smugly, and picked up the keyboard that sat on my desk. I was very thankful it was wireless. Before James could blink his eyes, I reared back and swung the keyboard like I was hitting a home run. It made contact with his jaw with a resounding _thwack._ The keyboard shattered against his face, sending assorted letters, bits of plastic, and a few teeth flying through the air. And there was blood. Alot of it. James Laurant fell slowly backwards into the hall, just outside of my office, completely unconcious. I heard a few quiet screams, yelps, and 'Holy Shit's', but I didn't look up from Jame's battered face. I dropped what was left of the keyboard on the floor by his head.

"_That's_ how it's going,_motherfucker"_" I growled.

I looked up and met the eyes of my secretary, a cute, young girl named Jessica. She was smiling. I couldn't help but smile back at her. I looked down at James and them back at her.

"Don't worry about the trash, Mr. Masen," She said. "I'll have it taken care of."

I nodded and smiled, and left without another word to anyone. I made it back to my apartment, to collected my luggage and make my way to the airport. On the way out, I asked the superintendant to change the locks on my door, and gave him the address where I would be staying so he could send the keys to me. I also made sure that Tanya Denali no longer had access to the building. I stepped outside and hailed a cab, hoping my destination would bring another, happier defining moment.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been my experience that Fate is a mean spirited, bitter hag. I feel this way, because since I was fourteen years old, my life has sucked. I got good grades, graduated at the top of my class, went to a top notch university, and met the best friend I've ever had, while there. But at fourteen, my life was irrevocably changed by a random act of violence.

At fourteen, I became the parent to a mother who couldn't deal with her grief - or anything else, for that matter. I was forced to grow up too soon, learn things too fast, deal with the problems of, not only my life, but those of my mother as well. My mother calls me a pesimist. I perfer to think of myself as a realist. By the time I was fifteen, I was convinced that Fate was one pissed off bitch who, because she didn't get what she wanted, made it her mission to make the rest of the world miserable.

When I was fourteen, my father, a Phoenix police officer, was killed during a liquor store robbery. My mother, who was a little bat shit anyway, completely fell apart. She became obsessed with crystals and communicating with the dead, convinced that she would somehow be able to 'talk' to my father. Meanwhile, I was cooking cleaning, balancing the checkbook, paying bills, and grocery shopping. All of this before I was old enough to have a drivers license. We got by on my father's pension, which honestly wasn't much, and I was sure that if I'd had any siblings, pension or not, we would have been living in a cardboard box. My mother didn't work, and she wouldn't let me get a job for fear of my grades slipping. She was very unpredictable, and had more hobbies than I could count. She was a regular hippie. The only thing missing was a commune. At one point, she even tried growing pot. Let me just say that the only thing that will grow in Phoenix is cactus. Even the grass is shitty there.

Then, my only bright spot was my friend, Jacob Black. His father, Billy had been my father's best friend. Friendship with Jake was easy. We had no expectations, we were able to predict each other's moods and act accordingly, and Jake was the only sane person in my life. In high school, Jake and I started dating. I didn't like him in_ that_ way, but it was simpler than trying to talk to the more popular guys, who probably wanted nothing more than a piece of ass. Plus, Jake was relentless. If I'd had a piece of chocolate for everytime he asked me out, I'd have an ass the size of New Hampshire. At the time, I said yes just to shut him up. One thing I was sure of, was that I could trust Jake. In my life of un-sure's, Jake seemed to be the only 'sure'. So, when the time came, I gave Jake the last thing I had to give. That's right, I let him stamp the famous V-card. You know what? It kinda sucked. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. I knew it would be painful, but I expected... more. I thought there would be some profound connection, some moment of enlightenment, but there was just,,, nothing. I can't, for the life of me, explain it. It seemed like a complete role reversal. Jake became clingy, and I couldn't wait to get away from him. He eventually moved on to Leah Clearwater, which was great, except every time she saw me, she would give me the stink eye. I hate that. It made me want to slap the taste out of her fucking mouth.

I graduated high school, and managed to acquire a full scholarship to Arizona State University. By this time, my mom had remarried, a guy named Phil, who was younger than her, but he was good to her and she loved him. I happily turned the parental reins over to him, and got on with my life, such as it was. College was cool. Dorm life was crowded, but my roommate was okay. Lauren Mallory. What can I say? She was okay. I stayed out of her way, she stayed out of mine.

During the first few weeks of class, I met Alice Cullen. She reminded me of Tinkerbell, with jet black, spiky hair. All she needed was pixie dust and wings. She would dance and flounce around all the time. I couldn't understand how someone could be that happy. She was from Washington, studying fashion design and art. I had to admit, Alice did know how to dress. Her boyfriend, Jasper Hale followed her and was majoring in history. He was a huge civil war buff. So much so that he would, on occasion, dress as a wounded infantry man and let Alice 'nurse him back to health'. They were a riot. Alice had a big brother, Emmet who was ginormous. He could've been a fucking football team all by himself, and he dated Jasper's twin sister, Rosalie. Rosalie was a walking Barbie doll. Jasper was her male equal.

One afternoon, Jasper came to my door, desperately looking for someone who could teach him to dance. He wanted to surprise Alice with, what he called a 'private cattillion', complete with a southern belle type dress just for her. He was in luck. When I was twelve, my mother insisted that my father and I take ballroom dance lessons. She felt it was important that we be able to dance at my wedding. Pfft! Anyway, I could waltz like a pro, so I taught him. It took a few hours and a broken toe, but he learned, and Alice loved her little cattillion. When I was twelve, I hated it, but looking back, making me take dance lessons with my father was one of the best things my mother did for me.

During the second semester of my freshman year, I started 'socially' dating Tyler Crowly. I thought he was a little strange, but so was I. We kinda fit. He was alright I guess, not the love of my life, but I was nineteen and in college. I didn't plan on meeting the love of my life, period. I doubted that such a person exhisted. Tyler had expectations though. Sex was one of those expectation. I wasn't virginal, by any means, but I wasn't about to just give it up to some guy I saw only occasionally. Unfortunately, that didn't stop my room mate from giving it up; to Tyler Crowley. When I caught them, I was more pissed than anything. I wasn't really surprised, but I thought, stupidly, that my room mate would have atleast some sense of loyalty toward me. I actually did slap the taste out of her mouth. It was easy, too. Just drew back and_ whack!_ Right across the cheek.

While she and Tyler stared at me like I'd sprouted another head, Lauren rubbing her cheek, I packed a small bag, and left, but not before insulting Tylers little peter. I called Alice and told her of my circumstances, and, God love her, she insisted that I move in with her and Jasper. Jasper insisted on her insist, and viola, I had new room mates. Off campus housing is a wonderful thing. We were like the Three Muskateers. Over the next three years I became a part of the Cullen/Hale families. Good thing too, because Phil turned out to be as flaky as my mother and they decided to go on some sort of pilgrimage in search of inner peace. My mother also mentioned the Fountain of Youth. _Huh?_ Yeah, they moved to Florida.

With graduation fast approaching, Carlisle and Esme Cullen made the trip from Washington to Phoenix for the event. I loved them as if they were my own parents. In a sense, they were. They cared for me as if I was theirs, including me in everything familial. It was wonderful, the feeling of saneness and normalcy, something I hadn't had in so long.

The morning of graduation, I woke up to find Esme fixing breakfast for everyone. I had the privelage of witnessing her relationship with Carlisle first hand. I say privelage because it seemed so intimate... all the time. Everyone should have something that special. I sat down at the table and watched her. It was hard not to compare my mother to her. She smiled at me and handed me a cup of coffee and sat down.

"Esme, do you think there's someone out there for me?" I asked. "You know, someone who will love me in spite of my flaws?"

"What flaws, Baby Bell? You're perfect."

"Seriously? I'm head-strong, independent, frugal, a glass-half-empty kind of girl. The only thing I've got going for me is the fact that I can recite Shakespeare and spout off medical lingo without missing a beat."

"Like I said, perfect." She smiled. "Bella, you are a beautiful, intelligent woman, who happens to know how to take care of herself. A woman who doesn't need a man to validate her. And yes, there isn't a doubt in my mind that you will find someone who loves you because of those things, not in spite of them,"

"Really?"

"Absolutely. We think you're wonderful."

"You know that I adore you and Carlisle. He's like a second father to me, and you... I couldn't have asked for a better mother."

"We adore you, too. More than you know. C'mon, let's finish breakfast."

By the end of the day, degree in hand, I was starting to think that Fate wasn't so bad after all. I had a decent future mapped out, and I was moving to Washington with the Cullen's.


	3. Chapter 3

The Pacific Nortwest. Not what I was used to, but definately a small price to pay for a little peace of mind. When I landed in Seatle, Esme and Emmett were waiting for me. She wrapped me in a motherly embrace and I could feel the stress draining from my body. For the first time in months, I felt like I was home.

I hadn't seen Emmett in years. The man was absolutely monstrous. I was pleased to discover that he owned his own construction company and was currently building a large subdivision on the outskirts of Forks, the small town in which the family lived. We hadn't made it to Port Angeles before I was talked into a job. Emmett knew I designed - not built - but he needed an inspector. I would have to familiarize myself with building codes in Washington state, but I didn't foresee any difficulty with that. He said the only problem they had in this part of the country with construction, was the weather. It rained... alot. Fortunately, inspection could be done in just about any environment, so I wasn't worried.

Esme was happy to let us talk. It was great. And talk we did, all the way home. Once we arrived at the house, I called Marcus to let him know I arrived safely. He said that I really did a number on James' face, and threatened him with termination if he pressed the issue. The fact that James was, at best, a sub-standard architect didn't hurt my chances against retaliation. Marcus gave him small jobs designing city playgrounds. I didn't mention Emmett's job offer. I was worried about Marcus' reaction, and honestly, I just wanted to leave Chicago right where it was - away from me. I told Marcus to take care of himself, I thanked him again for this time, and hung up. Because of the late hour, we decided to order pizza for dinner. It was just so nice to be there, to be a part of something... good.

I met Rosalie, and _damn_ she was gorgeous. She would've given Barbie a run for her money. Rosalie's twin brother, Jasper was attending college in Arizona with Alice. Apperently, he and Alice were soulmates. Um... okay. And the family had unofficially adopted Alice's best friend, Isabella. I saw pictures. The girl was a fucking doll. Emmett affectionately refered to her as 'Baby Bell'. I could see that. He said I shouldn't let her looks decieve me. He said she was 'fierce', whatever that meant.

I'd been in Forks for about a month when Carlisle and Esme flew to Arizona for Alice's graduation. Jasper and Isabella were graduating as well. It made me happy to hear that Isabella was moving to Forks when Alice and Jasper came back. I looked forsard to meeting her and figured, at the very least, that I'd make a new friend. A few weeks after their graduation, Emmett and I were on our way to Seatle to pick up Alice, Jasper and Isabella from the airport.

"So, give me the gist on Isabella." I said. Emmett eyed me with a cocked brow. "What? She's adorable. I'd like to get to know her."

"Yes, she is adorable." His face softened. "I'll give you the condensed version." I nodded. "She met Alice at college. Her dad was a cop. He was killed when she was fourteen, and her mother turned into some kind of space cadet who went in search of the Fountain of Youth or some shit." _HUH?_ "Yeah dude, she's a real wack job. So's her husband. Bella hasn't spoken to them in a couple of years. They pretty much abandoned her."

"That's really shitty." I said curtly.

"You don't even know the half of it. After her dad died, she had to take on all the household responsibilities. I mean everything. Imagine a fourteen year old kid balancing your checkbook and running a household on a fairly meager pension. It's fucked up."

I just nodded. I couldn't imagine having that kind of responsibility at fourteen. Hell, I was too busy having wet dreams about Angela Weber at that age. "What did you mean when you said she was 'fierce'?"

"Loyalty, man. She's fiercely loyal." He said, almost reverently. "You know we all love Bella, but to her, we're all the family she has. She would take a bullet for any one of us. Especially mom."

"I know that feeling."

You should see her with Dad. They fucking waltz. It's awesome."

"No shit? I haven't waltzed in years."

"You waltz?" I nodded. "That's cool. It's funny, because Bella has got to be the clumsiest person I've ever seen. She can't even walk across a flat surface without tripping, but man, she can dance." I just grinned. "Baby Bell's as tiny as Alice, and just clumsy as shit, but she's got a mouth. I mean,dude... she can take a grown man down with that mouth. And she's sharp. She can insult a person in a way that they don't realize they're being insulted. It's hilarious to watch." I was giggling. I was so excited at the prospect of meeting Isabella, I could barely keep still.

We pulled up in front of the terminal and went inside to wait. After about ten minutes, we heard a trilling "Emmie!". Alice was dancing toward Emmett. Jasper and Isabella were skipping - hand in hand - behind her. I nearly fell over when Isabella stumbled and pulled herself and Jasper to the floor. Alice threw herself into Emmett's arms and hugged him tightly, then she stepped in front of me. She smiled and wrapped her tiny arms around my waist. I hugged her shoulders gently and released her.

"Edward, this is Jasper." She introduced me to a human Ken doll.

"Jasper, it's a pleasure."

"Likewise." He said.

"Baby Bell!" Emmett boomed. This cute, tiny girl jumped into his arms. She was just so fucking adorable. Low rise jeans, a bright blue shirt that rested right above her hips, long mahogany hair - in pigtails - and the most beautiful laugh I've ever heard. She had a fucking tattoo on her lower back that looked oddly familiar. My jeans were starting to get a bit uncomfortable, and then she looked at me. I was rock hard. One look from those impossibly deep chocolate eyes, a little smile from those very soft looking, completely kissably full, pouty lips and I was gone. 0.318 seconds was all it took for her to own me. I was starting to freak out a little, because never in my life, have I had such a strong reaction to a woman. To anyone.

"Teddy Bear! I missed you!" I felt a twinge of jealousy as Emmett's arms wrapped around her tiny waist. I wanted to hold her. I wanted to pull her little body to mine and hold her. I wanted nothing more than to wrap her pigtails around my wrists and suck on those lips and taste that creamy skin. I imagined being able to see inside of her mind, watching in awe at the intricate way all the kuttke gears and pulleys worked together, causing every little movement of her body. I could almost hear the air rushing into and out of her lungs, and I wanted to feel the beat of her heart to see if it was pounding like mine.

"Bells, this is Edward." He said.

"Hello, Edward." My God, the sound of my name in that sweet voice. Her hand drifted out away from her.

"Hello, Bella." I took her hand in mine, and I could barely breathe. I felt a tingle that turned into heat. It burned it's way through my fingers, up my arm and into my chest. I couldn't look away from her. Her eyes bore into mine, and held me like she could see into the deepest part of my soul, and I was helpless. She smiled at me, and her cheeks turned the most beautiful shade of pink I've ever seen. I nearly stopped breathing when she stepped closer to me and stretched on her toes to wrap her arms around my neck. I readily complied She gave me a tight hug, and it was all I could do to keep from scooping her up and running away to a place where we would never be found.

"You look like you needed a hug." She whispered, still encased in my embrace. I don't know what was driving me but I was unable to let go of her. And she didn't let go of me. It almost felt as though we were reuniting, instead of just meeting for the first time. I let my forhead drop to her shoulder, and I felt her fingers slide through my hair._ Oh God, that felt so fucking good._ My eyes rolled back into my head and I sighed. I had to restrain my hips to keep from grinding against her.

"You have no idea." I sighed, and cupped the back of her neck. She felt so good against me, like she was made to fit my body.

"I think I do." She whispered back, and turned her head to drag her lips across the hollow just under my ear. _Fuck me!_ I nearly moaned. Or maybe I actually did moan. I held her tighter, and inhaled deeply, sucking her lucious scent deep into my lungs. I could've stood there for the rest of my life, and I got the impression that she felt the same because she held me tighter against her. She was so warm and soft, and I just really wanted to crawl inside of her and become part of her. If I hadn't been so close to her lips, I wouldn't have heard her say my name so quietly, I'm sure that no one else did. I took another deep breath and this noise came from my throat that made me sound like such a girl. I couldn't help it. The feel of her against me just felt so_... right._

I'm not sure how long we stood there, wrapped around each other. It could have been hours or even days, and how her body conformed to mine was the only thing I could think about. I was absolutely enraptured by her. Until someone cleard their throat. Even then, it was hard to let go.

"Um... guys, we should probably get going." Emmett finally broke in. I looked at Alice and she was beaming. _Hmmm... _ I released Bella, completely unprepared for what she was about to do. She grazed my cheek and smiled. Yes, I was hers.


	4. Chapter 4

Two weeks after graduating, Alice, Japer and I were on a plane bound for Washington. My mother and Phil called, but couldn't seem to justify the expense of a trip to see me. Maybe their next child will be a little more - I don't know - _justifiable?_ It hurt a little, but Carlisle and Esme more than made up for my mothers shortcomings. They paid to have our tickets upgraded to first class. Not that I fly alot, but I will never go coach again.

"Okay, Ali." She cocked her brow. "Edward... spill." I had never met him, but I had such a strong reaction to his picture that I was inclined to give myself a few Edward induced orgasms.

"Well, he grew up in Chicago, he's an architect, his parents were killed earlier this year, his ex is Satan, he's working with Emmett, and um... oh, he's staying with Mom & Dad."

"Wow, that's quite a mouthful. His mother was Esme's sister?"

"Yeah, Aunt Elizabeth. She was alot like Esme. She was beautiful. Edward looks like her."

"So, they were close?" I asked. "Edward and his parents?"

"He was an only child. They kept him grounded." She said. "Imagine my parents not existing any more. Edward was a wreck."

I nodded. I knew that feeling. I was so overwhelmed when Charlie was killed. Even though Renee was still alive, she wasn't there. Most days, I couldn't tell which way was up, so sympathising with someone I'd never met wasn't very difficult. And I truly felt for Edward. I'd seen pictures of him and his parents. He did look like his mother, and she was beautiful. I pondered meeting him all the way to Seatle. Honestly, I couldn't wait. I wanted to meet the man with the intense green eyes and wild, bronze hair. Alice mentioned an ex, and that she was Satan. I wondered what she had done to him, how she'd hurt him. When I thought of all the different scenarios, I wanted to hunt her down and slap the fuck out of her. If Edward was anything like Esme, which was a very distinct possibility, for anyone to be cruel to him was unacceptable.

We landed in Seatle and was greeted by Emmett and Green Eyes. I have never seen a more beautiful human being in my life, and that included Rosalie and Jasper. And his eyes... the loss behind them was incomprehensible. I had to touch him, to hug him and love him, let him know that he wasn't alone. So, after nearly mauling Emmett, I was introduced to Edward Masen. He smiled at me, and it was the sweetest smile, but his eyes were still so full of sadness. When he took my hand, the spark I felt almost caused me to pull back, but I had to touch him. so I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tightly. I felt his arms around my waist, pulling me closer, and he sighed. When he said I had no idea how much he needed the comfort I was giving him, I told him that I did know. He dropped his head to my shoulder and sighed. I could feel the hurt and sadness spilling out of him as I ran my fingers through his soft hair and gulped his scent, which was divine. I wanted to take him somewhere where I could hold him, and kiss him, and touch him. I wanted to be with him in every way and learn his secrets and keep them safe. I held him tighter and ran my lips across his neck. God, I wanted to lick him. I felt him shudder and heard him whimper obsceneties in my ear, when he pulled me closer and all the while, we held on to each other and I kept running my fingers through his hair. I wasn't surprised to feel his hardness against me, I wanted to feel it. I ached to feel his bare skin on mine. In that moment Edward Masen, a stranger to me, became my home.

The drive home was interesting. Edward and I were the only ones who were quiet. I sat behind him and when I saw him glance out the window, I would reach out and touch his shoulder. I couldn't get past the need to have some sort of physical contact with him. I couldn't understand it, and frankly, I didn't give a shit about understanding this intense attraction to him, but it was apparent that he felt the same, taking my hand in his when he could. Alice would give me a knowing smile, and go back to her conversation. If she was opposed to this attraction to her cousin, she had a shitty way of showing it.

We arrived at the Cullens massive house, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my room was next to Edwards. He didn't seem to mind either. When everyone was settled, we prepared dinner and played catch-up. It had been an exhausting day, and I felt like my ass was still in Phoenix trying to catch up to the rest of me, but I couldn't sleep to save my life, so I made my way down stairs and out to the patio. I stood against the railing, looking out over the vast back yard. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a throat clearing behind me. I spun around quickly to find Green Eyes sitting in a lounge chair.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He chuckled. My hand clutched my chest and my breathing returned to normal. "Care to join me? I have beer."

"Such a sweet talker." I said as I walked over and sat beside him.

"I do my best. So, what made you decide to come to Forks?" He asked. "It's a bit different than Phoenix."

I cocked my head to one side. "I could ask you the same thing, but I have a feeling we're both here for the same reason."

"And that would be...?"

"The Cullens. They're really the only family I consider to be mine."

"Well, Miss Swan, that makes two of us. So, tell me something I don't know."

"Hmm, the human brain weighs eight pounds - roughly." Edward threw his head back and laughed hysterically.

"That's the funniest thing anyone's ever said to me. Thank you, I feel like I haven't laughed in ages."

"I'm glad I could help you with that. So you're an architect?"

"Yeah. I'll bet you're wondering what I'm doing with Emmett when I have a job in Chicago?" He asked, taking a sip of his beer.

"Well, I didn't know that you have a job in Chicago, but since you mentioned it, I'm moderately curious." I took a sip of my beer.

"To be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing anymore. I know that being here has caused a signifigant decrease in my stress level." He sighed. "I'm definately happier here, but I left alot of shit back there. I guess I'm not dealing very well." He opened another beer. "As for Emmett, well, I make sure that he builds things correctly." He said with a shrug.

"It's great that you're helping Emmett. I really wish I could offer some insight in the other, but I can't. I can only go from my experience. I can tell you that you don't have to do anything until you're ready."

"Would you tell me about your parents sometime?" I was a little shocked that he'd even want to know. I knew he had a physical reaction to me, but I was surprised that it went beyond that. Then again, maybe he just needed someone to help him cope. Someone with a similar story. "I don't know much about it, I know you lost your father when you were young, and you don't speak to your mother often..."

"Um... sure." I said. He looked at me quizically. "I'm sorry, I'm just surprised that you're interested in knowing. Most people don't care."

"I'm not most people. I find you to be soothing, easy to talk to. A very pleasant woman to be around."

"Wow, you haven't had many good experiences with women, have you?"

"Umm... no." He chuckled. "The last woman I dated was..."

"Alice said she was Satan."

"That's a very apt description." He said. "She was very mean spirited. I guess I was an easy target. Definately the closest target."

"That's awful, that a person could be... like that. And I don't know you very well, but I can't imagine why anyone would want to be mean to you."

"You're very good for my ego, Miss Swan. I feel better already." He smiled. I couldn't help but return the smile.

"Well, I also find you to be soothing, easy to talk to, and a very pleasant man to be around."

"Hmm... it sounds like your 'experiences' haven't been all that great either."

"I can honestly say that any pluralisation is completely unneccesary, and it pretty much sucked balls. But it's my own fault, so I really have no right to complain."

"Of course you do." He said curtly. "It does take two. Were you alone during this experience?" I could feel my cheeks burning. This was about the last thing I wanted to discuss with Green Eyes, but my Pandora's Box was now wide open. Unfortunately, I couldn't seem to open my mouth, so I just nodded. "Well then, there you go, Miss Swan, it wasn't just your fault" I couldn't help but smile at his optimism

"Mr. Masen, would it be possible to cut the formality bullshit?" I asked, still smiling. "Please don't think I'm trying to be rude, but we kinda had a moment at the airport, and I don't know about you, but I believe a moment like that warrants a first name basis.."

"Whatever you want,_ Isabella." _ He said with a wink.

I made a silent promise to Edward to boost his ego more often. I was finding myself wildly attracted to, not only his body, but the rest of him as well. And I couldn't wait to get to know him better.


End file.
